Solar Panels

Key points:

1. Photovoltaic systems
2. Concentrated solar power systems
3. Solar updraft towers
4. “A solar grand plan” for the USA
5. A new type of solar panel

1. Photovoltaic systems

 Means electricity produced from the light

 Are solar panels which convert sunlight directly into electricity
 Supplied just 0.04% of the world’s total energy needs
 PV is used to power calculators using a single solar cell
 Are made of semi-conducting materials which are similar to those used in computer chips

2. Concentrated solar power systems

 Uses mirror or lenses and tracking systems to focus a large area of sunlight into a small beam
 This concentrated light is used as a heat source for a conventional thermal power plant
 Global installed capacity of CSP systems is currently less than that of photovoltaics
 Comprises a linear parabolic reflector which concentrates light onto a receiver positioned
along the reflector’s focal line
 The reflector tracks the sun on two axes
 Solar power towers are using a large number of heliostats, which concentrate the sun’s rays
onto a central receiver positioned at the top of a tower

3. Solar updraft towers

 Also known as solar chimneys

 A large area of “greenhouse” would be constructed with a very tall tower in the middle
 The hot air in the greenhouse would rise rapidly up the tower, driving turbines along the way

4. A new type of solar panel

 Are comprised of arrays of photovoltaic cells made from silicon

 These cells absorb photons in light and transfer their energy into electrons, which form an
electrical circuit
 Solar panels are costly to install, have to be tilted and carefully positioned
 Australia is planning to build the world’s biggest single solar power plant in the state of
Victoria
5. “A Solar Grand Plan” for the USA

 Three leading experts in solar electricity have presented this with the overall aim to end US
dependence on foreign oil and slash greenhouse gas emissions by 2050
 Solar power could provide 69% of US electricity and 35% of its total energy by 2050
 Solar energy could be provided at prices equivalent to today’s rates of conventional energy
 The plan is to create large-scale development of photovoltaic farms
 One significant disadvantage of solar power would be that it generates little power at night
and little when skies are cloudy
 Therefore, excess electricity must be produced during sunny hours
 Due to the fact that the geography of solar power in the US is very different from the current
energy supply situation, a new high voltage direct current power transmission system would
have to be constructed